The Dinnertime Deviation
by xagentsx
Summary: Something's wrong with Sheldon. Only rated T for angst and possible romance in further chapters. **THIS IS NOT COMPLETE, BUT I AM NOT GOING TO RESUME WRITING THIS**
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This is my very first fanfiction, for any show/book. I ve written a couple of tiny Shamy pieces previously, to myself, but they were bad enough that I didn t even keep them. I m not exactly comfortable sharing any written work I ve ever done, but that doesn t mean I wouldn t really appreciate some criticism.**  
><strong>Another thing, I m not used to writing fiction at all, so if this story ends weird (it won t be sad, I promise), you ve been warned.<strong>

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><p>Sheldon and Leonard, along with Raj, Penny, and Amy, had just come home from work, and were starting to dig in into their Thai take-out. Howard and Bernadette had decided to spend the evening together in privacy, and they could only speculate what that meant.<p>

Sheldon was arguing with Raj about the significance of theoretical physics over astrophysics.

"Raj, if I solve all of the mysteries with my theories, there will be no need for your field of work."

"Sheldon, you KNOW that we don't even know what dark matter is, and that covers ninety percent of the universe."

"But that's what theoretical physics is for! I solve what we don't understand, because, well, I understand it. You couldn't even comprehend what I think about when I'm eating a sandwich."

"You just make stuff up! I use real, plausible stuff, and I think it's more important to find out about our universe before we go on to lala dream-land-"

"Raj. Don't be such a hypocrite! Complaining about me relying on imaginary universes when you hold unreasonable, silly reverence for such things as cows! The whole point of theoretical physics is to... to-"

Sheldon fell silent. Everyone looked at him quizzically. He looked around, clearly confused, and made no point to justify his sudden silence. He stood up, and started to slowly make his way to the fridge.

Leonard said, "Sheldon, what are you..."

"Soy sauce, I forgot..." Sheldon started to say. His speech was oddly jagged. Penny exchanged looks with Leonard.

They silently watched him as he crossed the room, opened the fridge, and took out a jar of mayonnaise.

"That's not soy sauce..." Penny said, bemused.

And it was then when Sheldon collapsed.

Amy yelped, and Penny jumped up, eyes wide. They all immediately headed over to the man lying crumpled on the hardwood of the apartment.

It only took Amy a second to glace at Sheldon and exclaim "He's having a seizure! We need to get him to the hospital immediately in order to cause the least damage possible. This could be a... a..." Amy cleared her throat, "...very life-threatening."

"Oh my god," said Penny. Leonard took his cell phone out from his pocket and dialed 911. "Yehlo, yes, this is a medical emergency... unexplained seizure... yes the address is 2311 Los Robles Avenue, apartment 4A." Leonard turned back to the scene.****  
><strong>**

Penny, Amy, and Raj were all crouched around a twitching Sheldon. Leonard knelt down to see what was going on. Sheldon's movements were wild. His eyes were half-closed and out of focus, and there was a series of awkward grunts coming out of his mouth, all unintelligible.

Amy was checking Sheldon for any signs of what might have happened. Penny, Leonard was surprised to see, was holding Sheldon's hand very tightly. Leonard, out of experience with an epileptic brother, knew that that wasn't exactly safe to do. Amy noticed too. "Penny, that's dangerous. Sheldon's body is very out of control right now. You're very prone to getting punched in the face, and I doubt he can even tell that you're comforting him. I'm already risking injury."

Penny let go.

Amy finished her brief exam on Sheldon, and then she stared straight into his eyes. While Sheldon's eyes were still blank, Amy's eyes were full of ferocious intensity. They were clouded with pain. Leonard had never seen someone look at another human being with such compassion before.  
>"Sheldon, look at me. Say something," Amy said. Though her voice carried its usual professional tone, Leonard knew that trying to get someone having a seizure to respond was tactless. Amy probably knew it, too.<p>

"What's going to happen to my smart little Whackadoodle?" Penny murmured, tears in her eyes. Raj was just hovering, silently, with an extremely sullen expression on his face.  
>Finally, there was a knock on the door, followed by an authoritative yell. The ambulance had finally arrived.<br>Two medics ran over to a still-twitching Sheldon and got him into the stretcher. Everyone filed out of the apartment, and Leonard locked the door behind him.

The back of the ambulance was depressing. Raj still kept quiet. Leonard was nervously fiddling with his glasses in his right hand, and he had is left arm wrapped around Penny, who was was sobbing softly and stroking the barely-conscious Sheldon's hair. Leonard thought he heard the tune of "Soft Kitty," between her sobs.  
>Amy sat, not speaking, just staring glumly at Sheldon. Her lips were drawn, and her hands, residing in their typical spot on her kneecaps, were atypically clawing into them.<br>Sheldon had stopped twitching soon after the ambulance began to move. Currently, he was just extremely pale, covered in cold sweat, and seemed to be trying to say something but it might have been that he was just having a dream. Prior, Leonard hand convinced the EMTs to let everyone aboard, because even though Amy was Sheldon's significant other, Leonard didn't think she could do this alone. She was certainly capable, but it seemed like a much better idea for the others to accompany them.****  
><strong>**

It was easy to say that Amy was unstable, and that Penny was Amy's sister, and that Leonard was not only Sheldon's roommate, but his caretaker, because Sheldon was also "unstable". For Raj they had to make up a wild tale regarding a social experiment between him and Sheldon, and how very important it was to Cal Tech that Raj should be with Sheldon at all times. The EMTs were lenient to everyone's surprise. Leonard was glad; Raj cared much more about Sheldon than he let on. He cared a lot more about everyone than he let on.

And then they were at the hospital. They all rushed behind the medics, still using the same lies to get through barriers. However, Penny and Raj left immediately after Sheldon acquired a place in the emergency room. Penny had been sobbing, and saying "It's just too crowded!" while pulling Raj along with her. They were going back home.  
><strong><strong><br>****

Leonard and Amy sat for three hours while dozens of medical professionals rushed in and out, performing various tests. They didn't tell either of them what was going on at all. It was 10 pm when Sheldon was carted out to get an MRI. Leonard decided to take the opportunity to nap. Amy, who didn't think it was that late, and who rarely slept anyways, decided that she should go find where the hospital had tea.

Amy smiled when she found the lunchroom and its supply of hot water and tea packets. She chose a citrus green tea. It was low-quality, but it would do. She used a white styrofoam cup, and added half of a packet of generic honey to it, since Splenda gave it a horrible taste. Then, sipping it slowly, she retreated back down the hall.  
>Amy had wanted the drink because she was upset, and then she realized... if Sheldon wasn't indisposed, he would have been getting her tea right now. Though obvious, the thought struck a chord. Amy crumpled to the floor in a fit of tears, spilling the tea all over her fingers (consequently scalding them), as well as on the floor.<p>

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><p><strong>MORE AUTHOR S NOTES (I m telling you, I m really awkward about what I produce creatively): This story might seem a little random, or technically incorrect, but I was writing this on a whim, and most of this chapter s writing was in school. <em>Feel free to correct me on anything. Including how you prefer my text formatting. :)<em>**

**P.S. It may seem like it, but I definitely don t ship Shenny. I just appreciate their friendship a lot.**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: I love your guys' feedback, thanks you all of you! It's already motivated me a lot... obviously, since I've already cranked out another chapter.**

** Also, I don't know if it alerts you or not when I replace a chapter, but sorry in advance if it does, because I've been doing it more than once. I'm bad at catching mistakes.**

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><p>After crying for forty-three minutes, according to her watch, Amy found herself looking at a pair of worn-out converse peeking out from under brown corduroys. She looked up.<br>It was Leonard, who looked even more upset that he had all evening. "The doctor just told me that Sheldon had a mild stroke." Amy let out a choked cry, and then buried her face in her hands. Leonard sat down next to her, back against the wall and legs crossed. The hallway still remained vacant.

"I suspected that was what had happened," Amy said.

"Why? People just don t have strokes at thirty. Unless, maybe they're obese..."  
>Amy looked up. "No, actually, it is possible. It s not very common, however. Other than an aneurysm, he could have had a congenital arteriovenous malformation, or AVM. It s a small physical deformity in a single artery in the brain, where the blood does not branch out into smaller vessels but remains flowing through a large tract. It's harmful because blood flow is very rapid, and needs a capillary bed to keep the flow controlled. With an AVM, the artery is under high stress and is prone to bursting, but it s hardly an ailment. Many people are able to catch it before it bursts, because they can experience migraines or discomfort. For people who don t catch it, the vessel's wall will finally give in their middle years, though Sheldon is an early case even for that."<p>

"Yeah, well the doctors said something about a weak vein. I wonder why it was never diagnosed." Leonard said.

Amy shrugged, and said, "Sheldon's mom probably thought he was being a hypochondriac when he complained his head was hurting." She returned her face to her hands.

Leonard said, "I'm sure Sheldon will be fine. We got him here very quickly." Amy lifted her head up again, taking a deep breath. "Despite that, he could have severe neurological damage. He might become a completely different person. I know these things, Leonard... I am a neurobiologist, after all. Haven't you ever known someone who's had stroke? I just really hope the burst blood vessel wasn't anywhere particularly harmful..." She turned to face Leonard. "When can we see him?"

"I think he just got a room in the ICU, but I don't know if he's actually there yet. I guess we should go check." Leonard got up, and held out his hand for Amy, who took it and got up slowly.  
>The styrofoam cup remained on the ground, surrounded by a cold puddle of tea.<p>

There he was, on his back, his head and shoulders peeking out from the bland, white hospital sheets. Amy noted that there weren't any life-support machines... so he wasn t in a coma. It was good to know, but it was hardly any reassurance.

Sheldon was still pale, and definitely unconscious now. Amy, who usually had little urge to touch anyone without good reason, was surprised at herself when she placed her hand on his cheek. There was a strange stillness to his lukewarm skin.

His brain scans were still up on the wall. She went over to them. There it was, a large white blotch, obviously out of place. It was where the blood had pooled in his brain. She was, at least, calmer seeing that the area was closer to the cerebellum than any part of his cortex. That meant that, God forbid, he'd be more likely to be disabled in the ways of human instinct, rather than any true cognital function. Maybe Sheldon would still be the same Sheldon. But how long would it take for him to recover?

"I always liked him better when he was asleep," said Leonard. "I guess that's wrong to say now, but it's true. I know I love the guy to bits, it's just hard to do when he's always looking at you like you're a sack of rocks."

Amy experienced Sheldon's condescension a lot less than Leonard did, as she was more intelligent than him, but she said, "Yes, well, everyone is a bit more bearable when you don't have to deal with their personality, I suppose."

But Amy wished Sheldon was awake. Sheldon was one of few who looked at Amy with deep respect and understanding, despite his unsympathetic ways. Sheldon was always challenging Amy in ways she never thought she would be, and not only intellectually, but as a human being. It was no matter as to how much love he carried in his heart, it was their unusual bond itself that brought out new thoughts and actions that she never had had. Amy wondered if she was in love with Sheldon. It was possible, she supposed. As a human, she was prone to all of the hormones that touch and one-on-one bonding produced.

Amy sat down in the hard plastic chair by Sheldon's bed. Leonard stayed standing. Though his face was full of concern, he seemed bored. And he was obviously still tired. Amy said, "Leonard, you may take a cab home if you wish. I'll stay here. I know it's not necessary, but I think I should stay by Sheldon tonight."  
>Leonard nodded knowingly. "I'll be back tomorrow." And he turned and exited the room.<p>

Amy looked to her right. There was a couch too, but it didn't look any more comfortable. Even after crying, she still didn't feel very sleepy. Maybe her brain held a certain sort of resilience; she'd dealt with insomnia and night terrors for years now, but they hardly impacted her during the day. She wasn't ever very tired, and she never felt disoriented or slow. Sheldon, on the other hand, would be sleeping on end for a few days before anyone would get anything out of him. His brain was trying to recover from severe trauma, and the typical brain already needed to rest for hours on end after a typical day.

Amy was afraid of what would happen when Sheldon woke up. Would he recognize anyone? How long would it take him to make any sort of bounce-back? Would he know who she was? Would he still know how to play Counterfactuals? Would he know what physics was, or what Star Trek was, or that Mondays were oatmeal day? The thoughts of Sheldon's possible outcomes were making Amy's heart race. _Multiples of nineteen_, she thought to herself. _Thirty-eight, fifty-seven, seventy-six..._ She did math in her head when she felt any sort of anxiety. It was always comforting to know that the numbers were always there, always definite. With numbers, there was only one true answer. No decisions to make, no unexpected situations.  
>She got all the way up to three-hundred and nintey-nine before she decided she wasn t going to have a panic attack, and turned her eyes back to Sheldon. His hair was a mess. Even if he was unaware of it, Amy felt that it just wouldn t do. She took out a comb from her purse, got up, and wiped it with a disinfecting wipe from the dispenser on the wall, since she figured that Sheldon would appreciate it. Then she walked over to Sheldon, and with three strokes, put his hair back in its familiar neat, rigid state. She smiled to herself. Well, now Sheldon looked quite a bit more put together, didn't he?<br>She stood there, admiring how childlike he looked when his permanent expression of authority wasn't on his face. His breathing was light and calm. It was difficult to tell anything had happened to him at all.  
>She leaned over and pecked him on the cheek. She decided he probably wouldn't have minded it too much if he were awake.<p> 


	3. Chapter 3

"What are you doing on the floor?" said a voice.

Amy jerked awake. She was indeed in the cold and grimy rubber floor of Sheldon's hospital room. She looked up. There was Penny, accompanied by Leonard.

Amy grabbed the edge of Sheldon's hospital bed, pulled herself up, and brushed herself off. That floor really was disgusting. She was far from mysophobic like Sheldon, but the dirt she knew she was now covered with was making her antsy. Plus, she felt gross in day-old clothing. "I must have fallen out of my seat in my sleep." Amy said.

"Why?"

"Well, I was having some terrible dreams. I probably started moving around too much and fell out of my chair. It didn't wake me up because I was in the deepest part of my REM cycle... and also because I fall out of bed often." She'd fallen asleep at six in the morning, after watching about five nurses bustle in and check on Sheldon and finishing dozens of sudoku puzzles on her phone.  
>Leonard and Penny both nodded simultaneously, though they both looked a little puzzled.<p>

"What time is it?" Amy asked.

"About seven thirty," Penny replied. She looked terrible. Usually Penny prided herself in her appearance, but this morning her hair was disheveled and her eyes were red and puffy. Amy realized that she herself probably looked similar.

Leonard didn t look much better. Though he had been home, he hadn't changed out of yesterday's attire. He looked simply lost, with his eyes sad and aimless. And he was still exhausted. "I explained to Penny what happened to Sheldon," Leonard said. Penny almost began to cry again, but regained composure, looked at Sheldon, and said, "Out of all things, Sheldon had a stroke? Why couldn't it have been his appendix, even his stomach or his spine? It's not like he's _old._"

"It's quite a rare event, and uncomfortably coincidental seeing as his brain is the most highly regarded thing about him," Amy said, following Penny's gaze. Sheldon hadn't moved at all while Amy had been asleep, though that really didn't say anything, since he always slept in a sort of vampire position.

Leonard said, "Sheldon's mom finally called back, since we couldn t reach her last night. She said she's flying in either tonight or tomorrow. And then she'll be staying with him in the hospital. For the time being, do you still want to stay here, Amy?"

"Yes, I do," Amy said. "But I'd like to go home to wash up. I'd imagine you do, too," she said, beckoning to Leonard.  
>Leonard nodded agreeably. "Let s go, then." Just then, a nurse walked in for one of Sheldon s bi-hourly checkups. "We'll be back in an hour or two," Leonard told the nurse, as if it was necessary for her to know. Then they all headed to the car.<p>

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><p>Amy arrived at her apartment and immediately went for a shower. She usually spent a long time in the shower, but she limited herself to fifteen minutes in order not to make Leonard impatient. He had decided he would take a shower after he returned from the hospital a second time, and had gone over to the Radio Shack across the street instead to browse different types of solar cells for a project he was working on. Amy suspected he might have felt awkward staying in her apartment. She didn't know why; she was great company. Perhaps Leonard had anticipated a possible awkward post-shower-pre-clothing run in.<p>

She got dressed, choosing her most comfortable cardigan, which had large horizontal gray and blue stripes. She brushed her teeth and her hair, and then decided she was hungry. She hadn't eaten anything since the few bites of peanut sauce-coated noodles last night, and though she hadn't noticed her hunger the entire time, she was now ravenous. She selected some leftover home-made meat-free lasagna from her fridge that she'd made for herself, Penny and Bernadette a couple of days ago, which they had enjoyed. Amy had a knack for cooking.

Amy put the lasagna in the microwave, and then poured herself a large glass of Yoohoo. She took a sip, and then looked at her glass, remembering that Sheldon really liked Yoohoo. Should she take some for him in a thermos, assuming he'd wake up? No, she decided. She didn't know if he'd know how to eat or drink, let alone be able to stomach anything after such trauma and the drugs they'd surely be giving him.  
>She returned the large container of Yoohoo back to the fridge, and removed her warm lasagna from the microwave. Though desperate to quell her hunger, she choked down the lasagna with difficulty, then rinsed off her plate, collected her bag, laptop, and phone charger, and called Leonard.<p>

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><p>Amy was back in the hospital by Sheldon's bedside, typing up a lab report for one of her anger-provoking experiments with colobus monkeys. It was about one in the afternoon now. Leonard had already let her know that they had the day off from work at the university, and if necessary, Amy could arrange more vacation time without penalty. Despite that, Amy still had work to do. She was participating in four different studies within her neurobiology team, so it was crucial she stayed caught up no matter how much time she spent away from work. In fact, she already had a videochat planned at 6pm with Dr. Sabrind from the pharmaceutical department, which she was planning to do in a quiet place in the hospital outside of Sheldon's room. If Sheldon's mom was coming, Amy could return to work tomorrow if she wanted to. It wasn't like staying at home would distract her from anything.<p>

She was in the middle of comparing a howler monkey's eye movement patterns to those of a colobus's when food was taken away from them, when, in her peripheries, she thought she saw movement. She jolted and looked at Sheldon. He was awake. She nearly threw down her laptop as she scrambled to get nearer to the bed. Sheldon didn t move his head, and his large blue eyes held the same gaze as that of a baby's. She feared the worst.

"Sheldon?" Amy said timidly. His eyes looked in the direction of her voice. Amy caught her breath. This was already a good sign.

"Sheldon, do you know who I am?"

Sheldon didn't say anything. He just stared up at Amy for ages. Amy fixated on his face intensly, looking for signs of... anything. Then, in the quietest of whispers, so quiet that Amy thought she must have imagined it, except for that Sheldon's lips moved, she heard a distinct "...Farrah..."

Amy let out a squeal, all too similar to those obnoxious exclamations of glee that Penny often exhibited. Sheldon's face twitched ever so slightly. It looked like a bit of wince. Amy remembered that Sheldon's brain was probably still extremely sensitive to sound. She whispered, "Sorry." And then Sheldon closed his eyes again.

**A/N: I realize this chapter was a little dull, but I assure you it'll get a little more eventful soon.**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: I know it hasn't even been a long time, but I took longer to write this chapter because it was scenario after meaningless scenario, and I was boring myself so much that I decided to completely redo it. I'm still getting the hang of writing stories. :)**

"Ah, thank goodness you're here, I was gettin' a bit lonely," said Mary Cooper, folding up her newspaper crossword puzzle as Amy and Penny walked through the door. It had been two days after the tearful mother had arrived at the hospital and taken Amy's place, and now Amy was back for a visit. Penny tagged along because she thought that Mary might need someone that she could actually talk to. Of course, what she told Amy was that she missed Sheldon (which she did), and that she wanted to be good company for Mrs. Cooper (which she did).

"Well, it's Thursday. That is date night for Sheldon and I. Of course, that's not the reason I'm here, as a date requires participation by both parties. I'm here because it seems fair for me to visit Sheldon periodically, as I am his significant other."

"Oh, yes, my Shelly has a girlfriend! What's it been like? He told me only that much about it. You know Shelly, he doesn't think it's ever necessary to go into detail about anythin'."

"I know, right?" Penny interjected. "When he met Amy, I didn't know she existed for four months. FOUR MONTHS! And then I didn't even know that he started labeling Amy as his girlfriend for two weeks!"

"Actually, it was only a few days later that Sheldon knocked on your door and I said, 'that's my boyfriend'." Amy said.

"I was drunk, I thought you were joking," said Penny sheepishly.

Amy turned to Mary. "The relationship is going wonderfully. Sheldon and I are, as expected, closer than ever."

"Does that mean you've been sinnin'?" Mary asked sternly.

"Of course not, Mrs. Cooper," said Amy. "Our relationship is still highly based upon our intellect."

"Shelly's been soundin' different in his letters lately," Mrs. Cooper said complacently.

"How so?" Amy asked.

"Oh, I dunno, jus' less uptight. Talkin about stuff that usually doesn't matter to him, like how pretty the sun looked shinin' into his apartment one mornin', and almost seemin' to care about my day."

"I haven't noticed a difference," said Amy.

"Now that I think about it, Sheldon _has_ been a bit nicer to me lately," said Penny.

"Shelly's never been so bearable until you came along. You must be doin' somethin' to that boy," said Mary, smiling. Then she frowned. "Though, who knows what he'll be like now."

Just then, they heard a groan coming from Sheldon's bed.

"Oh, he's awake. Have I told you he's already tried walkin' around? But he doesn't know who I am yet or anythin'." All three women stood up and approached him.

"Meemaw, I want a cookie," slurred Sheldon.

Penny clasped her hands together in delight at Sheldon's words.

"Meemaw doesn't have cookies for you. Mama's here though. I can get you somethin' to eat," said Mary quietly.

"No food," said Sheldon. "Juice."

"Sure, some juice," Mrs. Cooper said, patting Sheldon's chest. She reached over for the water bottle on the bedside cart. "When he says juice, he really means water. Had sort of a tantrum when I brought him actual juice yesterday," she explained. Mary guided the straw to Sheldon's mouth, who took it and began drinking it with ease.

"I'm glad to see that his motor skills seem to be in order," said Amy, straining to make her voice sound less astounded and relieved than she felt.

"Yeah. The doctors say Shelly is doin' remarkably well. He's recuperatin' faster than anyone they've ever seen. Must be he's young. Or maybe his special little brain can just heal quicker, just like the skin of those pretty vampires in that movie 'Midnight'."

"Twilight," said Penny. "And the vampires don't really get hurt at all, it's the werewolves who get cut up but heal really fast."

"Bestie, let's not start discussing poorly written young adult's novels," said Amy. "I know that supernatural relationships are enticing, as I am guilty of having enjoyed that book, but please, it's hardly healthy to converse about such frivilous fiction. Read the silly book and move on." Penny rolled her eyes.

"So, I was thinkin'," said Mary, adjusting Sheldon's blanket, "when Sheldon gets out of this hospital, he should come home with me to Texas. I mean, I don' work. I can take care of him for as long as he needs."

"No." said Amy, almost savagely. Both Penny and Mrs. Cooper stared.

Amy realized her mistake, cleared her throat, and said "It's just that I think Sheldon would do better regaining his cognition in a more stimulating environment, around friends, and by doing familiar things."

"Amy, Texas is more familiar than anywhere else. It's his childhood. Shelly would be perfect there. It's serene and warm and all of his relatives could visit-"

Amy knew that it was most logical for Sheldon to go home, but something inside her was refusing the proposition.

"Well here, I think everyone could benefit from me studying him as his brain heals. Nothing drastic, just observation. On a less selfish note, the hospitals here are much better than the ones by your home."

"Amy, I think it makes more sense for Sheldon to go back to Texas for a little while," Penny said.

Amy glared at her. "I refuse." And then quietly to Mrs. Cooper, void of her familiar monotonous professionalism, Amy said, "Please don't take him there. I need him to be here, please."

Mary stared at Amy for a few seconds before nodding slowly and saying, "Alright. Shelly can stay in Pasadena, but he needs to be taken care of all the time, so I'll be stayin' here too. And only if Leonard's okay with it."

Amy mentally crossed her fingers- oh curse that pathetic superstition- that Leonard would be.

**P.S. Is it me, or is my writing getting more awkward? Tell me if you think so. It's hard for me to tell. Though... you might not have noticed anything until just now. Hmph.**


	5. Chapter 5

Amy knocked on the door, and Mary Cooper opened it. "Hello, dear. Leonard and I were just sitting down to dinner," she said.

Leonard waved from his armchair, fork in hand. "Hi, Amy."

Amy entered the apartment. It was as familiar as always, except for that it smelled pleasantly of bacon grease and it was a little cleaner than usual.

Amy sat down in the center of the couch. Mary wordlessly brought her a plate, with a biscuit, corn, and meatloaf. Amy didn't usually like Southern food, but everyone told her that Mrs. Cooper was an amazing cook, so she dug right in.

Mary looked at Sheldon's vacant spot a little uncomfortably, and said, "I think we should all move the counter. It'd be better." "Alright," Leonard grunted, mouth full of biscuit. The three of them went over to the counter, which was crowded with pans and dishes from Mary's cooking. Mary decided to ignore them.

"Thank you for allowing Sheldon's mother to reside here for Sheldon's recuperation, Leonard. I trust it hasn't been difficult for you?" said Amy.

"Nah. Sheldon sleeps. Mrs. Cooper cooks. It's alright. She stays out of my way."

"Just as any of my children would want me to," Mary said graciously. "Why are you eatin' so fast, Leonard?"

"Oh, I'm going out to the videogame store, and it closes early on the Saturdays." he said through a huge chunk of meatloaf.

"Odd," said Amy. "Usually, businesses tend to close early on Sundays, not Saturdays."

"I bet the owners are Jewish," Mary Cooper said, poking at her food.

Leonard gave Mrs. Cooper a harsh look, but then disregarded her and asked, "So Amy, how are you holding up?"

"What do you mean?" she said.

"Just... Sheldon."

"I'm doing well, thank you. There is no actual conflict between him and I, so I suppose it's useless to be 'down in the dumps'. Sheldon's brain is healing, that's all. I'm not worried, especially since he's been making great progress from day one."

"Good ya think that way," said Mary.

"Yeah, good," said Leonard as he picked up his empty plate and strode over to the sink to run water over it. "I appreciate the dinner Mrs. Cooper, but I've gotta run. Game Zone closes in forty minutes."

"Sure thing," said Mary. "He's sure been buying a lotta new games. That's all he does when he comes home."

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>It was about a half-hour later, and Mary and Amy were sitting on the couch watching Golden Girls. Amy didn't see much value in the sitcom intellectually, but she sat politely and made small talk with Mrs. Cooper.<p><p>

Just then, they heard shuffles coming from the hallway behind them. Amy turned her head around. It was Sheldon, in yellow train-themed pajamas, looking dazed and confused, and thinner than she had ever seen him. Amy jumped of from her seat, saying "Sheldon," in quiet surprise. He did not respond. He just leaned against the wall, as if exhausted.

"Oh, honey," said Mary, scuttling towards him. She gave him a light hug. He flinched, though it wasn't due to discomfort, and plesantly said, "Momma." Amy was taken aback to hear that he sounded extremely Texan.

"Ooh, that's the first time he's actually called me momma!" Mary exclaimed.

Amy walked towards them. "Hey, Sheldon."

At that, Sheldon's face lit up with a smile. Amy immediately felt light-headed.

"Aw, look at that, he knows who you are, that's for sure," Mary whispered. "Now, let's get him to the couch." And with that, her hand on his back, she guided him towards the living room as Amy followed.

Sheldon winced as they got closer to the TV. Amy quickly grabbed the remote from the coffee table and turned it off. "TV's still too strong for him," she said.

Mary slowly lowered Sheldon onto the couch. When he finally sat down, he made a displeased expression. "What is it, Shelly? All you did was sit down on your couch."

"Wrong," Sheldon mumbled, eyes still closed. They watched as he extended his hands, and guided himself across the length of the couch. Amy smiled in amusement. "Remarkable, he still remembers his spot. Though that's not actually all too surprising. His hypersensitivity is probably enabling him to understand which location he finds most preferable." Sheldon finally reached his spot, sunk into it, and his lips curled up slightly into an echo of the grin he had displayed just before.

Amy sat down next to Sheldon while Mary sat in the armchair. Sheldon tensed up when the couch rose in response to Amy's weight, but then immediately relaxed.

"Sheldon, it's Amy," she said. He nodded. "Farrah." How strange, that he was still calling her Farrah, but she supposed it was still her name.

Sheldon kept looking at everything around him, but after a while of not saying anything, Amy decided she should test him. She started by asking, "Do you know who you are?"

"I'm Shelly an' I'm a doctor," Sheldon said proudly.

"Do you know where you are?"

"In a house."

"Do you know how old you are?"

"I'm not old. I'm eleven. No. I dunno."

"Huh. Do you know your friends?"

"No, what is friends?" Sheldon said.

"Do you know your family?"

"Family... Mommy an' Meemaw an' Missy an' people I don't like. Are bad people friends? Can friends be somethin' I eat? If eat then I want friends."

"No, Sheld- Shelly. Friends are people just like Mom and Meemaw and Missy, but you don't know them your whole life."

"Oh. Can I still eat?"

Mary got up immediately. "I'd be surprised if he wasn't starvin'. All I've gotten in him since the hospital was two cans of fruit," she said, and went to the kitchen to unwrap the leftovers, which hadn't cooled down enough to be put in the fridge yet. After about a minute of clattering, Mary came back with a plateful of slightly cold food and handed it to Amy. "Feed him. But first try seein' if he can do it by himself." Then she sat back down.

It turned out that Sheldon could hold a fork, but he didn't know what to do with it. So Amy held his plate and lead forkfuls of food into his mouth, which he chewed extremely slowly. They were about a third of the way done when the front door swung open, the chain clattering noisily. Sheldon jumped. It was Leonard, carrying a small plastic bag, which looked like it had no less than five games in it.

Leonard immediately noticed Sheldon and said, "Hey buddy! Hi Amy, Mrs. Cooper."

"That's your friend," Amy told Sheldon. Sheldon didn't respond, just looked at Leonard, seemed to register, and then looked back hungrily at his plate of food. Mary shrugged. Amy put another forkful in Sheldon's mouth.

"Well, I guess I won't bother you guys," Leonard said cheerfully. He strode past them and immediately went to his room. Five minutes later, the sound of machine guns and helicopters began projecting from behind the door.

**A/N: Do you feel lucky having an author that publishes literally every day? :) This chapter came to me fast, even though I didn't think it would. I didn't want to end on Leonard because I probably won't go too much into his side of the story, but the chapter was getting long and it wasn't a bad place to end anyways. Hope you like it!**


	6. Chapter 6

It had been three weeks since Amy's first visit to the apartment on behalf of Sheldon's accident. She'd gone every single day since then, sometimes eating dinner with Mrs. Cooper and Leonard and on occasion Penny, but sometimes coming early and leaving early when she was busy. Usually, Sheldon was asleep in his bedroom and Mary was baking, reading poorly written romance novels, or watching something religious on TV. When Sheldon was awake, Mary was feeding him or giving him new games and activities, like both Amy and the doctors had instructed.****  
><strong>**

Amy would sit in Sheldon's bedroom in the evenings as he slept and slept, reading science journals and looking over at him as she visualized the neurons of his brain filing things together. Amy always tricked herself into thinking he would be perfectly fine every time he woke up, but it didn't happen. Indeed, Sheldon was understanding what was going on more and more, and every day he surprised both Amy and Mrs. Cooper with a new thing he could do, but Amy was still disappointed that she didn't have the old Sheldon back.

Today was one of the days that Sheldon was awake. He was sitting at the counter, back facing the fridge, when Amy invited herself in. Mary was sitting adjacent to him. As expected, Sheldon was seething in frustration, leaning over a jigsaw puzzle. He was often in a bad mood, though Mrs. Cooper told Amy that it was much less pronounced when she came over.

As soon as Amy sat down at the counter, Sheldon looked up from the puzzle- which was of a calico cat sitting on a flower pot- and visibly relaxed. Amy smiled at him, turned to Mrs. Cooper and asked, "Where's Leonard?"

"Hangin' out with Howard and Raj," Mary said.

"Good. It's about time he stopped spending all of his time here," Amy said as she nonchalantly shifted her eyes to the large stack of games on the coffee table. "What progress has Sheldon made today?"

"Well, as you can see, he got too used to that other four-by-four puzzle. Did it six times, so I told Leonard to buy him a new one. This one's got twenty-five pieces. Somehow it's a lot harder for him. Nothin' else much."

"That's very good," said Amy, genuinely pleased. She paused. "Mrs. Cooper, what do you think about Sheldon going outside today?"

Mary frowned. "I dunno if he's ready. Are you sure it ain't dangerous? And what happens if he doesn't come home as soon as he's tired? You know how cranky he gets every time he doesn't rest. Drives me insane."

"No, I'll be watching him the whole time, and I think I can deal with his unpredictability. We won't go far. If it's any help to you, I don't work tomorrow. I'd be happy to stay after we return home to ensure that you don't get overstressed."

"Oh, you don't have to do that, honey. I guess you can take him somewhere. Just bring him home as soon as he starts misbehavin', okay?"

"Alright."

"Shelly, you're gonna go outside! Now, c'mon, let's help you get dressed," Mrs. Cooper said, standing him up. Sheldon looked simultaneously relieved and irritated to leave the jigsaw puzzle.

Amy remained in the kitchen as they headed to Sheldon's room.

About five minutes later, they emerged, Sheldon wearing his plaid pants and a maroon Zelda t-shirt. "What do you think?" Mary asked Amy. "Not a bad outfit, huh?"

"Considerably better than anything he has ever picked out for himself," Amy said, appreciating that, for once, the colors matched. She began digging through her satchel. "Sheldon, do lights still make your eyes hurt?" Sheldon nodded.

Amy pulled out a pair of sunglasses. "Well, then I think you should wear these."

She walked up to him and carefully but quickly put them over his eyes before he could slap her hands away.

Sheldon started looking around wildly, clearly confused, much like a dog did when you put a treat on their nose or forehead where they couldn't reach it.

"Shelly, you have glasses on. They're just there to make lights less bright," said Mrs. Cooper, which immediately calmed him. Often, one had to be explicit for Sheldon to understand. But when he was told something, he got it instantly.

Amy thought Sheldon looked kind of cool with the sunglasses, like a rockstar, and thought about how angry it would have made Sheldon to wear them under normal cicrumstances. She smiled. "Ready to go, Sheldon?"

Sheldon kept repeatedly asking, "Where we goin'?" every minute, very much in distress. Amy pressed on, saying "A nice place," holding his hand and leading him down the stairs, out the door, and onto the sidewalk. As soon as they got outside, Sheldon began jumping at everything; the light breeze, each car that passed by, every distant dog bark and clanging door. The street that Sheldon lived on wasn't too busy; they mainly passed by apartment buildings and a small cluster of homes, but if it had been anything else, Sheldon might have jerked free of Amy's grip and run on to the street.

It was only a block to Franklin Park, a very small bit of land where only nearby residents came to jog, which included Penny. There wasn't a playground or any tennis courts; it was a simple park, full of trees, and it had a round path that covered less than a mile. As soon as they arrived, Sheldon relaxed, noticing how serene it was compared to the noisy street. They turned onto the pathway.

"How is it being outside, Shelly?" Amy asked him.

Sheldon stopped, breaking his deep concentration with his walking. "Scary," he mumbled.  
>"But do you like the sun? That's the round yellow thing in the sky."<br>"I know what a sun is," Sheldon said slowly. It was monotone, just like almost anything else Sheldon said lately, but Amy could easily imagine him snapping at her as he said it.  
>"Do you?" said Amy.<br>"Big.. really big.. also really far away... In space. I like space."  
>"Do you know a lot about space?"<br>"I think. It's black. Made of tiny things that make really big things. Shelly knows a lot about space but I dunno what."  
>"How can you not know what you know?" Amy said, tugging on Sheldon's hand to make him start walking again.<br>"Dunno, just hard." Sheldon said, furrowing his brow as he concentrated on his feet stepping forward, but he gave up and stopped again. "Why is everythin' so hard? All used to be super easy. Even when I was a baby. All of the older people said I was special cuz it was all so easy to me."  
>"You're still special," Amy told him. "And I promise, everything will be easy for you again. You just have to wait."<br>"Momma said I bruised my brain," Sheldon said. "That's why stuff is so hard."  
>"She's right," Amy said. "And bruises heal, don't they?" Amy said, hoping Sheldon still didn't remember the difference between muscle cells, which duplicated, and brain cells, which didn't.<br>Sheldon nodded. "When can I be smart again? I don't like everythin' bein' really... not easy."  
>"I don't know," Amy replied. "I don't know how long that will take."<br>****  
>AN: Oh my god, I was struggling so hard to write this chapter. I have a lot of ideas and a basic plot, but it's really hard to string things together. I should have known it would be a challenge to try to have a character have his personality altered so severely. I hope you like this anyways. I know it's not much.  
><strong>**


	7. Chapter 7

**Congratulations if you're actually reading this. The website's being glitchy, showing my story on the page as most recent, but not letting you get to the chapter neither through email nor by selecting it.**

* * *

><p>Each day passed by at the Cooper-Hofstadter household with much familiarity, but at the same time it was still always changing.<p>

Mary continued to live there, but Sheldon was becoming less dependent on her. Eventually, Sheldon would emerge in the mornings fully bathed and dressed, and he figured out how to use silverware, make toast, and pour himself juice. He grew less sensitive to sound and light, and when Mary reintroduced him to his Star Trek collection, he started to watch it every day. ("Are there really people with foreheads like that? I like Spock, he has a lot of great ideas, though his ears are silly, don't you think?")

Amy continued to take Sheldon out on walks, though to her disappointment, he started to refuse to wear the sunglasses. Eventually they went to places like the grocery store, which was always a big challenge for Sheldon, and the planetarium, where Sheldon would always exclaim that he remembered things, like the names of stars or how black holes worked. He was no longer scared by the outside world, but instead adored it. He would touch the walls of buildings and pick things up off of the ground, often surprised by what he was observed, and often pointed things out, like billboards and displays, saying that he thought they were pretty. He smiled at dogs being walked on the street, and sometimes even at the dogowners themselves, as if people were wonderful things, which was definitely something no one had seen from Sheldon before.

Howard and Raj began visiting again, complaining that Howard's mother was becoming more unbearable than ever, and that they were sick of Raj's 98%-of-everything-they-ever-watched-on-it TV screen. Howard and Raj spoke minimally to Sheldon, mostly coming for Leonard, who was proving to be much more pleasant to be around. Though Leonard still didn't interact with Sheldon much, he was obviously happy to see that his best friend was coming back to his senses. Penny and Bernadette were frequent visitors as well. They didn't have Girl's Nights often anymore, respecting the fact that Amy was inseparable from Sheldon, but still kept her company.

When there were visitors, Sheldon would shyly hide in his room or remain drifting in the kitchen. He would greet people however, mostly just to avoid conflict with Mrs. Cooper, sometimes remembering their names and sometimes not.

* * *

><p>One day, about four months after the stroke, Amy was sitting on Sheldon's bed next to him, trying and failing to explain Sudoku, when she looked up to find him staring at her. It wasn't new; he always did it. It was bizarre, but not uncomfortable, though Amy finally decided that this time it wasn't an accident that his eyes were fixated on her, because the glazed look had started to peel away and it was clear that he was alert and engaged in the physical world.<p>

"Sheldon, why do you always look at me like that?"

Sheldon immediately snapped out of his gaze. "I don't know, I just enjoy lookin' at you," Sheldon said, his speech almost smoothly strung together, though still peppered with a Texas twang.

"Why so?"

Sheldon though for a minute. "Your skin is a lot less wrinkly than momma's. And your eyes look like shiny green glass, like the stuff I saw when you took me to the beach, and at momma's church in the windows. And- the way you talk makes me feel comfy, it's so different from the way other people talk. I always liked the way you talked though, even last year and the year before that."

Amy's face grew extremely warm. "You remember me from last year?"

"Yes, a lot of you. We went to the zoo and lot and the planet place a lot like we do now. One time you kissed me, maybe more than one time. And you hugged me a lot, even though other people didn't hug me a lot. ...Were you my girlfriend?" Sheldon asked, suddenly timid.

Amy looked at him. "...Yes, and I still am, technically." she said.

"So that's why you're always here. I thought you got paid to do that. I heard a lot of people get taken care of just cuz someone is paid to do it. Why are you still my girlfriend?"

"Because when you bruised your brain, I didn't stop being your girlfriend. Because I don't want to." She also would have mentioned the Relationship Agreement, but somehow she felt like it wasn't a good idea to remind him of it. He'd probably get angry at the fact that he couldn't read his own writing, which was a common occurrence when he came across journals and letters around the apartment.

"Why? I can't make you pie like momma and I can't tell you interestin' stories like your other friends can."

"Sheldon, you're every bit as interesting as my other friends. Even if you can't do a lot of things, you've learned a lot of things and you're going to continue to, and for now I just enjoy you the way you are."

Sheldon looked at Amy for a few seconds, trying to find a hint of insincerity. Finally, he seemed convinced, and happily said, "Cool, so how do I do this sido- su- number thing again?"

Amy smiled and explained it for the fifth time.

An hour later and they'd barely made progress; Sheldon seemed to understand the concepts of digits and that they were put into boxes and rows, but he couldn't make it so that they fit in both. He also always forgot about numbers elsewhere on the puzzle. He didn't seem discouraged, but Amy couldn't help feeling exasperated. Once upon a time, Sheldon could complete the hardest of Sudoku puzzles in less than a minute. Amy never had very much patience with teaching in the first place.

She badly wanted to go home and play her harp. It wasn't that she wanted to leave Sheldon, it was just that playing the harp let her get at negative emotions and anxiety effectively.

Her eyes drifted to Sheldon's shelf, where on top of it was a vintage Spiderman clock radio. Maybe crummy pop music would be just as effective as her harp.

As Sheldon scanned over the sudoku puzzle (which only had two numbers written in so far, both by Amy), Amy got up from the bed and took the alarm clock off of the shelf. She sat back down and turned it on.

It was on a classical music station; she wouldn't expect anything else out of Sheldon, who probably tolerated whiny singers and primitive beats even less than her.

The song playing tittered melodically, with a harmony of choir singers and violins. Sheldon suddenly froze up. Amy immediately turned the radio off, thinking something was wrong with him, but as soon as she did, Sheldon looked at her and barked, "Turn it back on!" And she did. She sat, confused, and watched as Sheldon closed his eyes. A smile crept up slowly on to his face, and it didn't leave until the song was over and the broadcaster began to speak.

"Sheldon, I never knew you enjoyed music so much," Amy said when he opened his eyes.

"I don't remember it ever bein' so wonderful before," Sheldon sad. "Can I hear that again? With less static cuz the static was yucky."

Amy's scientific side was nudging her._ It's very interesting; Sheldon is hearing music as if it were for the first time. He's certainly never cared for it that much before, always saying that music was just a series of frequencies that could be diagrammed into simple math equations; that all music was much the same. A different part of his brain must be picking up on the music now, a less analytical side. What else could that mean for how his brain has realigned itself?_

She pulled out her laptop, waited as it warmed up from hibernation mode, and then quickly searched for the piece on YouTube.

Sheldon lay down on the bed and listened. Amy sat with her laptop, legs crossed and facing him, replaying the song a few times, and then moving on to suggested pieces.

And that's how they remained, neither of them saying a word, until they heard Leonard come home and Mary call "Dinner!"

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I hope you don't mind me jumping so far forward. I just don't think a good story should stay in one place for too long.****  
><strong>


	8. Chapter 8

Mary beamed at Sheldon as he sat eating dinner and absentmindedly hummed to himself. Penny stared at him quizzically. She leaned over to Leonard and whispered, "He hasn't gone cuckoo, has he- you know, in a different way?"

"No," Leonard said mid-swallow. "Amy's been playing music for him every day this week, and he really likes it. Like, a lot."

"Huh," Penny said.

There came a knock on the door. "Oh yeah, I invited Raj and Howard," Leonard said, and he got up to open the door.

Sheldon looked ready to scurry out of the living room, but Amy, who was sitting next to him on the couch, patted his knee and sad, "Sheldon, they aren't dangerous. They won't say anything mean and they never have. Don't leave this time, okay?"

Sheldon still looked poised to flee the scene, but he ever so slowly relaxed back into the couch. He didn't resume his humming.

Howard swaggered in, and a silent Raj followed close behind. They promptly sat in their usual spots, Howard on the couch and Raj on the floor. Amy raised her eyebrows at Sheldon ominously.  
>Sheldon said, with some force, "Hi, Howard and RJ."<p>

Sheldon had taken to calling Raj RJ. He, for some reason, had some trouble with pronouncing the simple, one-syllable name. Leonard handed both Raj and Howard plates of food and sat back down. They dug right in.

After a few minutes of eating and realizing that Sheldon hadn't left yet, Howard said, "Wow Sheldon, I haven't eaten dinner with you in a while." Sheldon nodded tersely.

"He's getting a good grip on conversation and people in general, so he feels more compelled to hang around less familiar friends," Amy said.

"Did I tell you he's learnin' how to read?" Mary cooed. "And really fast, too. We only started a couple a days ago and he can already read all the way through 'Frisky Little Puppy'. Learnin' all quick like he did when he started readin' the first time."

Raj snorted loudly, and stretched up to whisper in Howard's ear. "I know, frisky," Howard whispered, chuckling. Penny glared at them.

"It's called 'Poky Little Puppy', Mrs. Cooper, though the book does focus on the puppy's frisky personality," Amy said. This time, both Howard and Raj both covered their faces, shoulders shuddering from silent laughter. Amy looked over at them with contempt and continued, "Sheldon's learning has already proved to be quite rapid, but this has been the most impressive thing he's done in recovery so far."

"Farrah told me to sing what I read," Sheldon said. "And it's a lot easier for me that way. Isn't that weird?"

"Amy." Mary corrected.

"Farrah sounds better," Sheldon said. "Amy is hard to remember."

"How is the name 'Amy' hard to remember?" Penny asked.

"I dunno, it just IS." Sheldon retorted. Amy could tell his temper was beginning to rise. She quietly said to him, "Hey, if you finish your dinner right now, we'll go straight to your room and we'll listen to all of the Chopin you want."

Sheldon smiled. "Alright," he said, immediately forgetting his anger. He spooned three mouthfuls of casserole into his mouth in rapid succession.

"What do you think about Thai food tomorrow?" Leonard said. "You're a wonderful cook, Mrs. Cooper, but man, it's been months since I've had anything exotic. I've been craving chicken satay and spring rolls for a while."

"Of course you can bring home some Thai. I wouldn't mind takin' a break from cookin' for a day," Mary said.

They all focused on their food for a few minutes, until Sheldon's fork clattered onto his plate and he loudly said, "Done!" Everyone looked up, a little startled. "May I be excused?" he asked his mother.

"You most certainly can," said Mrs. Cooper sweetly.

Sheldon straightened up and bounded to the hallway. "Come on, Farrah!" Amy looked apologetically at her friends, scraped the last bit of food off of her plate, popped it in her mouth, and then carried both hers and Sheldon's plates to the kitchen.

* * *

><p>"Sheldon, can you type Chopin?"<br>"Spell it?"  
>"C-H-O-P-I-N. Can you remember that?"<br>"Yeah."  
>Sheldon stared at the laptop's computer until he recognized the C, and jabbed it. "You don't have to press so hard," Amy said.<br>"Oh. What's the next letter again?"  
>"H."<br>Sheldon found the H, and then with a little more speed the O, saw the P next to it. Then he pressed the 1, which Amy corrected for him, and finally the N. "Now what do I press?"  
>"Enter. Do you know what that word looks like?"<br>"Does it start with an... I?"  
>"An E."<br>"Okay. So. E... N... T... R..."  
>"E-N-T-E-R," Amy said, "all on one button."<br>Sheldon found it and pressed it. A new webpage flashed before them.  
>"Click on the first picture," Amy encouraged.<p>

Sheldon clicked on the YouTube homepage icon. "No, not that one," Amy sighed kindly, and reached over to press the back button and then click on the first thumbnail.

As soon as the sound of Chopin's Nocturne No.2 began to fill the room, Amy picked up the laptop, and they both sat back against Sheldon's headboard. Amy increased the volume, and began browsing through Scientific American's website as Sheldon lay in content silence.

A few minutes later Sheldon piped up. "You know, I've read about Chopin before." Amy looked at him with interest. "Do you remember anything?" she asked.

Sheldon immediately began, "Frederic Chopin was a Polish composer. He grew up in a very musical family and he composed his first piece at age seven. Throughout his life of just thirty-nine years, he has composed several piano sonatas, nocturnes, waltzes, and etudes that have altered musical history through his unique fingering techniques and display of emotions in his pieces. Some of his most famous pieces include the Funeral March and Nocturne Opus 9 Number 2..."

Amy stared at him with astonishment as he recited an extensive biography of the composer.

Sheldon finished, looking shocked at the sudden wave of information he'd just recounted.

"Sheldon, that was very good." Amy said excitedly. Do you remember reading about anything else?"

"Uh, yeah. Mozart! I related to him. 'Cause he was a prodigy too, and sometimes he got real tired and grew up not knowin' how to deal with a lot of things. I remember readin' a book about him and promisin' myself that I wouldn't let people make me do things that I didn't want to. And that I was never gonna have a hard time takin' care of myself."

His description already had much less formal edge than the previous one. Amy was no less amazed, however. She was about to ask him to describe how he was remembering things when Sheldon suddenly said "Farrah? I want a piano."

Amy was slightly confused by the sudden change of subject, but she didn't skip a beat. "A piano would be too big to put in this apartment. It'd also be too loud."

"Oh, well, never mind then."

"But they have electronic pianos, and you can carry those around. Would you like to go shopping tomorrow to find one?"

Sheldon's face lit up magnificently. "I sure would!"

* * *

><p>The next day, after Sheldon had chosen a keyboard from Best Buy and he and Amy brought it home, Sheldon requested that they take it out of the box immediately.<p>

Amy held on to the piano as Sheldon held the box. Amy slid the brand new keyboard out, and then set it on the floor with a hollow clunk.

Sheldon rushed past her, immediately sat down on the floor in front of it, and began striking at the keys. He faltered when he realized there was no sound. And then, with the air that he'd just had a Eureka moment, he stood up, unraveled the cord and plugged it in, and then sat down and triumphantly pressed the "on" button.

He drew his notes back to the keys and started playing wildly, as vigorously and inaccurately as a three-year-old child.

Soon he grew bored with the lack of musical structure, found a note he liked, and pressed it a few times redundantly.

Amy watched as his finger creeped down to another note. It was sour, so he tried again until it sounded appropriate, and then another note, and he continued the process until he had plunked out a familiar tune. Amy was trying to remember where she had heard it from when suddenly Mary was behind her. "Is that Soft Kitty, Shelly?"

Sheldon stopped playing and looked up at his his mother. "Yes, mother." he said happily, and turned back to the keyboard.

**A/N: All I can say is I would really appreciate some constructive, harsh criticism. I'm lacking confidence again xD (I realize that sounds a little contradictory).**


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